IRVINE (CBSLA.com) – Starting freshman center Mamadou Ndiaye is averaging eight points, six rebounds and three blocks per game for UC Irvine. That is not surprising for a player who stands 7 feet and six inches tall.

With Ndiaye’s help, the Anteaters are amidst their best season in years. It’s just the beginning for the team and for the 20–year-old, who only began playing organized basketball when he moved to the US from Senegal in 2010.

After a successful high school career at Brethren Christian High School in Huntington Beach, it took no time for UC Irvine’s head coach Russell Turner to notice and recruit the NCAA’s tallest player.

Ndiaye’s coaches and teammates are shocked with their center’s quick learning curve, but the jury is still out on whether the freshman can one day be a success in the NBA.